Infection hazard

Four more people in the Netherlands have died from West Nile virus, according to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) said Thursday. There are now 56 reported infections and nine deaths in the country. One of the latest deaths includes a person who contracted the virus through a blood transfusion from the blood bank organization Sanquin.
Thirty-two cases were reported in Zuid-Holland, 12 in Utrecht, five in Noord-Holland, four in Noord-Braband, two in Gelderland, and one in Overijssel. Overall, however, the RIVM said the outbreak appears to have passed its peak, because, overall, the number of infections has declined in recent weeks.
West Nile virus originates in birds and is spread by common house mosquitoes. About 80 percent of the people infected do not have any symptoms, but it can cause the West Nile fever. About 19 percent of people develop flu-like illness, and about one percent become seriously ill.
According to the RTL, epidemiologists, ecologists, doctors, veterinarians, and virologists are working together in the country to track and respond to the virus. It has reportedly been circulating in several parts of the country since August.